The next iPhone will be called the iPhone 13, according to rumors. Will this bring bad luck to some?

Many people avoid the number 13. But will it really affect sales of the next iPhone? What about other parts of the world? Is 13 considered unlucky everywhere? And how has Apple dealt with strange product numbering in the past?

"There are a few cases where people have to avoid the number 13 for superstitious reasons," Katherine Brown, founder of remote monitoring company Spyic, told Lifewire via email. "Look at the real estate developers who leave out the 13th floor of their skyscraper or the couples who swore they would never get married on the 13th. In fact, some psychologists treat patients for triskaidekaphobia, a condition related to the fear of the number 13."

The number 13 is not considered unlucky everywhere, and its unluckiness is not universally applied. A Spanish friend told me that Tuesday the 13th, not Friday the 13th, is considered unlucky. And a Swedish friend says that although it is considered unlucky, the superstition is low.